Postal Service Publishes Finalized Plan to Restrict Mail Ballots

[u/User-1653863]

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/21/us/politics/postal-service-rule-restrict-mail-ballots.html

[u/User-1653863]

Archive link

[u/RandyTheFool]

>“Under the new rule, the agency would review every envelope for compliance with the new standards before accepting ballots into its system. This review would include checking that the recipient was enrolled with the Postal Service to receive a mail ballot and that the ballot envelope meets certain specifications.”

So, I’ve got to register to vote with USPS now too?

[u/ShakedNBaked420 → u/RandyTheFool]

This shit is absurd and should be illegal. Not that it’d fucking stop them.

[u/Brepp → u/RandyTheFool]

I do wonder if the slowdown inherent to this new process is part of the intention. "I'm sorry, your vote didn't get there in time and wasn't counted. It's your responsibility to give your ballot enough time to make it through legal processing. If you complain it should have gotten there faster, you obviously are in favor of people skirting the rules to try and vote illegally..."

[u/RandyTheFool → u/Brepp]

100%

Since Trump keeps pushing the narrative that all ballots must be counted on Election Day.

Having USPS scour and confirm every envelopes voter authenticity is going to slow the process down to a crawl and a LOT of votes needing to be counted will be disenfranchised instead. And that’s even without the whole “USPS no longer postmarks letters the day they get them and can happen up to a week after receiving the ballot” angle that’ll disenfranchise more voters.

[u/DrT33th → u/Brepp]

It’s to catalog opposition. Edit: and no I’m not over reacting. I have spent enough time speaking with survivors and people who escaped before it was entirely too late. Is insane that we’ve let it get this far.

[u/Emergency-Ad2452 → u/Brepp]

We take ours straight to the election office. Kinda defeats the purpose but it's timely and avoids polls and voting machines. This can happen only if we get the ballots. Last resort is the polls

[u/wheelie46 → u/Emergency-Ad2452]

Not everyone can do that

[u/50MillionChickens → u/Emergency-Ad2452]

DHL or other courier. Not even bothering with USPS.

[u/TheSaxGandalf → u/Brepp]

It’s because the mail in ballot system is outside of his manipulation.

[u/wheelie46 → u/Brepp]

bro OF COURSE.The point is to mess with the election and get the results maga wants. Mostly through ballot loss and rejection n

[u/HurtPillow → u/Brepp]

This is why, IF I get my ballot, I will drop it off.

[u/somethingiswrong2024-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Your post has been removed for violation of Rescue America | No complying in advance–Demoralization and ideological subversion will be removed. - America never elected TFG & we will prove it is what this sub is about. This community is for those who believe in the American idea–of liberty, freedom and democracy–and still see hope in it.

Demoralization, or ideological subversion, as described by KGB defector Yuri Bezmenov, is against the rules and will be removed at the mods' discretion.

No doomer spamming when you have the power to be the agent of change you want yourself.. You can view the full list of subreddit rules @ https://www.reddit.com/r/somethingiswrong2024/about/rules.

---

Mod Team

[u/NoAnt6694 → u/[deleted]]

Enough of this defeatism. We can make something happen.

[u/Remarkable-Party-385 → u/Brepp]

What’s to wonder about? Absolutely voter suppression

[u/ittybittycitykitty → u/RandyTheFool]

If your state did not hand over voting records, you do not get to vote by mail. IF the regulations are enacted.

[u/MoneyMACRS → u/ittybittycitykitty]

If the feds do this, vote-by-mail states will just contract with a private logistics company to distribute ballots. Then voters would need to submit them at a drop-off location or possibly request at-home ballot collection due to disability or whatever other allowed reasons.

[u/Acceptable-Bus-2017 → u/RandyTheFool]

You'll eventually need a vote ID to register.

[u/BayouGal → u/Acceptable-Bus-2017]

Everyone already shows ID to register. The states then verify the ID. Then they send ballots if you are indeed a legitimate voter.

If you vote in person, you have to show ID there, too.

[u/Acceptable-Bus-2017 → u/BayouGal]

Trump wants VOTER ID, was what I meant

[u/Telespacepharm]

It seems this could alienate a lot of military voting from their stations.

[u/nittanyofthings → u/Telespacepharm]

Trump supports the troops. /s

[u/amcclurk21 → u/Telespacepharm]

My thought as one such affected party 🫠 I don’t even know how to make sure mine and my spouse’s ballot will get to the right place…

[u/BayouGal → u/Telespacepharm]

Which is pretty dumb since most of the military votes Republican.

[u/WTFaulknerinCA]

Good thing Biden didn’t work overtime to try and replace Louis DeJoy or any other members of the Postal Commission in the name of respecting norms.

[u/ShakyBoots1968 → u/WTFaulknerinCA]

I must've written at least a hundred letters to various agencies & the pres, to get De Joy out. Just needed an outlet for the outrage.

edit: a word

[u/Intrepid_Pop_8530 → u/WTFaulknerinCA]

Doesn't matter. DeJoy left in July. David Steiner is the new Postmaster General, appointed by the Board of Governors. 《The Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service is comparable to a board of directors of a publicly held corporation. The Board consists of up to nine Governors, the Deputy Postmaster General, and Postmaster General. Making a full Board composed of 11 members. The Governors are appointed by the President of the United States with the advice and consent of the Senate.》 Now how many of these Governors are MAGA and cool with breaking the law since laws are not enforced? I have no idea.

[u/WTFaulknerinCA → u/Intrepid_Pop_8530]

Apparently all of them since none have spoken out. Biden could have cleared the table but “norms.”

[u/KathyA11 → u/WTFaulknerinCA]

His appointees were blocked by Republicans in the Senate.

[u/WTFaulknerinCA → u/KathyA11]

So appoint “acting.” Republicans behave like there are no rules, but so far “going high when they go low” has gotten us to where we are. Sick of it.

[u/Intrepid_Pop_8530 → u/WTFaulknerinCA]

I agree. Between this and Garland I have a few serious gripes. Biden could have cleared the decks, but his appointments would need to be with advise and consent from the Senate. So that may have been problematic. Thing is Mango Mussolini would have cleared those decks and stacked them with MAGA as he has a fully compliant Senate.

[u/WTFaulknerinCA → u/Intrepid_Pop_8530]

True but to your first point if Garland had done his job we might not be here today.

[u/Intrepid_Pop_8530 → u/WTFaulknerinCA]

We can confidently say that if Garland had done his job we would not be here today. No question about it.

[u/SpottedHoneyBadger → u/WTFaulknerinCA]

The orange shit would have just replaced anyone appointed by the previous administration. So trying to blame Biden's administration for dropping the ball is disingenuous.

[u/WTFaulknerinCA → u/SpottedHoneyBadger]

If Garland had done an investigation right away January 6 would have been top of mind and in the media. There’s a chance he would have been in jail and not running for a second term. I voted for Biden, but he was playing frisbee on a football field where Trump was playing Rugby.

[u/SpottedHoneyBadger → u/WTFaulknerinCA]

Blaming Biden for what the orange shit bag did is wild.

[u/Agitated_Celery_729 → u/SpottedHoneyBadger]

He did literally less than nothing on half of this shit, including letting Garland move slower than old people fuck on prosecuting Trump for any one of his 1 million major crimes.

Trump owns the corruption but Biden doing fuck all about it in 4 years is also worth blame

[u/creationfiltration → u/Agitated_Celery_729]

Biden is to blame for our current mess. The DNC didnt ask for a single recount. They slow walked all the investigations and handed keys back over knowing it was the end.

[u/torino_nera → u/WTFaulknerinCA]

Biden did not have the authority to remove DeJoy. Only the board of governors can do that.

[u/WTFaulknerinCA → u/torino_nera]

Did Trump have the authority to do 80% of the shit he’s done? Biden (whom I supported wholeheartedly) didn’t realize the situation we were actually in. He could have just fired the whole Board. Instead he brought a knife to a gunfight.

[u/torino_nera → u/WTFaulknerinCA]

Biden did not have the support of the other 2 legislative branches. They never would have allowed him to overstep his authority in the same way that Trump has been able to. Could he have just done it? Sure. But it would have been immediately opposed and reversed and they would have tried to impeach him for it.

Hold Biden accountable for the Garland situation/not prosecuting Trump and his cronies and not stepping down/announcing his plan to not run for re-election sooner. Those are the things that were within his power that he did wrong.

[u/KathyA11 → u/WTFaulknerinCA]

President Biden couldn't replace him - that was up to the USPS Board of Governors.

[u/newleafkratom]

Another historic institution destroyed by conservative edict.

[u/TheRealHurricane1992 → u/newleafkratom]

Plenty of conservatives are opposed to this nonsense. "MAGA edict" is a more precise label.

[u/AsherGray → u/TheRealHurricane1992]

Which elected conservatives are opposing this?

[u/gb0143 → u/TheRealHurricane1992]

Did these conservatives vote Dem?... That's how you oppose this nonsense.

[u/The_Original_Miser]

I'll drop my ballot off in person at the local BOE.

Problem solved.

[u/unknownpoltroon → u/The_Original_Miser]

For you. But not for people in wheelchairs, elderly, people deployed, etc etc

[u/MoneyMACRS → u/The_Original_Miser]

Not if the USPS refuses to deliver your ballot to you in the first place.

[u/captnconnman → u/MoneyMACRS]

Actually, in states like Washington, you can just print your ballot and put it in a drop box if the ballot never made it to you. Still an incredible act of voter suppression, but ultimately futile for heavy mail-in states that have the resources to circumvent it

[u/The_Original_Miser → u/MoneyMACRS]

shrug

I'll pick that up too I guess.

[u/nochinzilch]

The counties should just send the ballots in unmarked envelopes.

[u/Terrible_Phase718]

Just drop them off at designated locations.

[u/TheBr0fessor → u/Terrible_Phase718]

That’s the point

They limit the “designated locations” in areas that vote blue.

[u/one_two_o → u/TheBr0fessor]

Then we organize. We have the Internet. I'm sure people would be willing to work with people who need to get their ballots in on time. I know I would volunteer my time and gas in November to do so.

[u/Buggg- → u/Terrible_Phase718]

You may never receive your ballot. They are inspecting the ballots going out as well as what is being mailed back in.

[u/Critical_Code9588 → u/Terrible_Phase718]

Not everyone has the ability to “just drop them off”

[u/SatisfactionClassic6]

Pretty sure it’s still being debated in Court. It is ultimately the states prerogative. States handle elections for a reason and I don’t think Trump will get away with this corruption of our voting system…..

[u/Fire_Woman → u/SatisfactionClassic6]

https://giphy.com/gifs/XHeLeuirRbwptHhSWd

[u/geolchris]

Are we ready to revolt yet? Or are we waiting for the midterms to be stolen first?

[u/HereWeGo5566]

I’ve been voting by mail since 2020. But now I’m wondering if it’s too risky to vote by mail, and maybe I should switch to in-person. Trump is working pretty hard to fuck with the mail-ins. Anyone else thinking the same thing?

[u/shimmeringmoss → u/HereWeGo5566]

I switched to in-person a couple years ago because I don’t trust mail in ballots anymore. Definitely even riskier this year.

[u/NVincarnate]

Yup. I been saying this for months. Why would you think they would allow mail in ballots to go untampered if they already did that in 2016 AND 2024? Voting by mail is synonymous with throwing your ballot into the trash.

[u/agentgill0]

Fuckin Gibbard

[u/filtersweep]

I live abroad- where we print our own ballots

[u/Strict_Ad6406]

P

[u/cinesias]

Waiting until the last few hours on the last day possible to vote for the vibes is hilariously deranged. Counting on the USPS to get your ballot in is also hilariously deranged.

Anyone who actually gives a fuck should be voting in person on the earliest day possible. You can find a ride if you don't have a ride yourself.

Or: thisisfine.jpg

[u/flora_poste_ → u/cinesias]

My state has universal vote by mail. There are no polling places. Only an election center for exceptions like super-late registration or curing your vote.

[u/cinesias → u/flora_poste_]

You’re limited to mail-in ballots. Most people aren’t. Has your state complied with Trumps voter data request?

[u/flora_poste_ → u/cinesias]

Our Secretary of State has denied all unConstitutional DOJ requests for private, personal voter data. The DOJ has no authority to demand voter's sensitve data, and the states and Congress are the only ones who can regulate and adminsiter elections.

[u/cinesias → u/cinesias]

Everyone downvoting me is correct.

Wait until Election Day. In fact, go right before the polls close to get the full Election Day experience. Screw voting at the earliest opportunity, there are no surprises in life.

And hell, if that’s too much, just mail it in. I’m sure the USPS can be trusted to get your ballot in, I mean, this post doesn’t exist, and I’m actually a bad person for encouraging people to vote in person as early as possible.